Playing card and process for making the same



, which results from ordinary che i ."of using in the coating a solventwhich will dis'-.

v Patented Feb. 15, 1944 I UNITE-D l STATES TENT- OFFICE mm g s pg ssson Frank J. Sowa, Cranford, N. 1., assisnor to Kent Plastic PlayingCards, Inc., New York, N. Y... a corporation of New York No Drawing.Applieation April as, 1941. Serial No. 390,543

.12 Claims. (crew's-152) of a film-forming composition over the surfaceof This invention relates in general, to playing cards and in particularto a process for coatin playing cards and to correlatedimprovementsdesig'ned to enhance the appearance, wear and washabllityofsuch coated cards.

The invention has. particular. reference to of a transparent illmforming composition for-the purpose, inter'alia, of protecting theprinting applied to the plastic card modifying the surface to reduce thegloss, decrease the slipperiness and to impart aproper slip,andjflrlally torender the cards; moistureproof, stainproof and washable.

cules in the surface of the plastic base; whereby the lacquer c reasonof the covalences or residual valences ex- 1 JI'herefore, the; coatingmust be not only transparent but also non-tacky, moistureprglf;washable-and free of, objectionable surface gloss. It

has been found that when such a coating composition is, applied to thesmooth, slossy surface of the non-fibrous plastic card base, the coatinsdating is anchored to the base by ercised by said metal compounds forthe plastic base on the one hand and the coating on the 'other.

. Theclasses of elements which are capable of forming molecularcoordination complexes are those elements whichexhibit residual valencesfrequently adheres imperfectly to the .base so that the coating tends tocrack. peel or separate from the base when the cards are shuflied, bent.

moistened or otherwise handledduring playing or washing. However, thisadhesion must be obtained without the development f brittleness calmethods solve the surface layers of the base sheet.

' Therefore, it is a general object of the present 1 magnesium. I preferto employ anhydrous solid invention to improve the; adhesion of thecoating It is a-further specific object. to provide a plastic playingcard having a transparent, non taokm' .non-slippery. washablecoatins'thereon which base during use and adheres firmly to the washing." 7

Objects of the inyentionfwill 61s in part salt...

and will in part appear hereinafter.

according] to the Werner theoryfi Of this class the compounds employedin the present .invent'ion comprise anhydrous solid compounds of metals,preferably amphoterio metals, which have a tendency to form coordinationcomplexes according to Werners theory, such for example, as the solidsalts and solid oxides of copper, magnesium, aluminium, silicon, zinc,tin, vanadium chromium, molybdenum manganeseJron, cobalt,

nickel and the like. Because of the low molecular weight, the hightendency to form coordination complexes and its amphoteric character ofcompounds of magnesium in particular magnesium silicate, magnesiumfluoride, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium chloride,magnesium sulfate. Other examples of compounds which are usefulas' thecomminuted material, are anhydrous stannic'chlcride, powdered clay,bentonite, talc, soapstone an the like.

According to the present invention, plastic playing cards are providedwith strongly adhering coatings of the type just described by applyingto the surface of the uncoated plastic base, prefer-' particle size andin such an amount that the particles do not detract from'the appearanceof the coated card, and thereafter applying a coating.

The compound selected should be referably colorless, whim or of a lightshade when powdered and the material should be inert in the solvents'used in the film-forming composition. Generally speaking, the finer theparticle size, the less ma- 'terial isrrequired, the lessalterationintrans# parency and the better the adhesion.) The particlesshould have a size of less than mesh and preferably less than mesh ofwhich 50% minutes! material to be employed to produce proper esion isextremely small, sinceirn- .cellulose derivatives and resins.

proved adhesion of the coating is obtained with an amount of powderdeposited on the surface which is invisible to the naked eye.

The process of the invention ,is applicable to plastic playing cardsmade from various types of also synthetic resins of suitable type such,forexample, as vinyl resins, copolymers of vinyl compounds, methylmethacrylate resins, ureasformaldehyde resins, glyptal resins, andmixtures of To the plastic base, there is usually added suitableplasticizers. drying oils, fillers, pigments, waxes and other ingredients depending upon the nature of the plastic and the type of carddesired. The formation of the plastic base sheet used in the manufactureof vided a simple and economical method of improvplastic playing cardsis well known and such process, per, se, forms no part of the presentinvention. a

It is customary to print the plastic card with the necessary characters,designs, figures and other indicia in a suitable manner, for example, bya photo-onset process, a letter-press process, or by rotogravure orother conventional printing process, which processes, per se, also formnopart of the present invention.

'After the printing operation, in the process of the present invention,the printed card is treated to deposit on one or both surfaces aninvisible deposit comprising a multiplicity of fine-particles ofcomminuted material.

The comminuted material may be applied .to the card in any suitablemanner as by dusting or spraying the solid particles on the plastic baseor by treating the base with'a suspension or solu tion of the particlesin a liquid inert to both particles and plastic base, such as water,alcohol, benzene and the like depending upon the nature of thematerials, and thereafter evaporating the liquid to leave the particleson the plastic base.

The dry plastic base carrying the particles on 45 minuted solidanhydrous inorganic compound of the surface is next coated with thefilm-formin composition such, for example. as-a solution in a suitableorganic solvent of a cellulose derivative such as a cellulose ester, acellulose ether, a cellulose ester-ether, or a synthetic resin, a dryingoil or a drying oil-modified resin or a mixture of thesefilm-forminglngredients, to which composition may be added the usualplasticizers, gums. fillers and the like, and amoistureprooflng agentsuch as a wax. The composition may be applied in any suitable manner butis preferably applied by spraying, in a plurality of coatings, whichupon evaporation of the solvent leaves a transparent, non-tacky,non-slippery protective coating.

Without limiting the invention by an theoretical explanation, it nowappears that the particle of comminuted material are attracted to thesurface of the base plastic cardbase by physicochemical surface forceswhich may be electrical (static charges) and that the film produced bythe coating operation is attracted to the particles by similar forces sothat the particles may be considered as forming a multiplicity ofseparate anchors to hold the coating to the base sheet. That theparticles serve to increase the adhesion to the base sheet issurprisingand unexpected in view of the conventional practice in thelacquer ."ing art of always avoiding the application of a lacquer to adusty surface and theusual admonitions of lacquer manufacture that thesurface to be coated should be clean and free of grit. Ac-

cordingly, the present invention achieves new and commercially valuableresults by proceeding contrary to the teachings of the prior art.

' By way of more specific illustration but not by 5 way of limiting theinvention, there will be given -the following specific example: Aplaying card base sheet formed of plasticized cellulose acetate.

is first printed and then dusted on both sides with magnesium carbonatehaving a particle size of between 100 and 200 mesh, the amount of powderamaliedto the base being less than that amount which will form a visibledeposit. Both sides of the base sheet carrying the particles are coatedthree times each by spraying with a nitro-' l5 cellulose lacquercomprising a plasticizer and a wax. The coating adheres to the basetenaciously even when the card is repeatedly bent or shuiiled.

and during normal washing of the cards. I

By the present invention there has been "proing the adhesion of coatingsto plastic playing cards. from the feel. appearancaor transparency ofthe coatingand greatly improve the adhesion of the coating during wearandwashing of the cards.

I claim:

1. In a process for the manufacture of organic plastic playing cards.the steps comprising applying to an organic plastic base sheet aninvisible deposit comprising a multiplicity of particles of a finelycomminuted solid anhydrous inorganic compound of a metal which formsmolecular coordination complexes, and applying over said particles acoating of moisture-proof organicv nimforming composition.

2. In a process for the manufacture of organic plastic playing cards,the steps comprising printing an organic plastic base sheet, applying tothe printed base sheet an invisible deposit comprising a multiplicity ofparticles of a finely com- .3. In a process for the manufacture oforganic plastic playing cards. the steps comprising dusting the surfaceof an'organic plastic base sheet to deposit thereon a multiplicity ofparticles of a finely comminuted solid anhydrous inorganic v compound ofa metal which forms molecular coordination complexes, and applying oversaid particles a coating of a moisturevproof organic film-formingcomposition. v v

4. In a process for the manufacture of organic plastic playing cards,the steps comprising treating an organic plastic base sheet with asuspension of a finely comminuted solid anhydrous in-- organic compoundof a metal which forms molecular coordinationcomplexes, in a liquidwhich is inert to said base sheet, evaporating said liquid to deposit onsaid sheet an invisible deposit comprising a multiplicity of particlesof said comminuted material,- and applying over -said particles acoating of a moisture-proof organic film-forming composition.

5. As an article of manufacture, a playing'card comprising an organicplastic base sheet, a multiplicity of particles of a finely comminutedsolid anhydrous inorganic compound of a metal which 76 forms molecularcoordination complexes, on the The particles employed do not'detracta,s41,as4 v -3- 9. Asan article of manufactureaplayingcard surface ofsheet, and a moisture-proof comprising anorganic plastic base sheet, a 3

comminuted organic coatingfover said particles, the particles serving toanchor said coating-to said base sheet. 6; As an article of manufacture,a playing card comprising an organic plastic base sheet having.

on its surface an invisibte depositcomprising a multiplicity ofparticles of finely comminuted solid anhydrous inorganic compound of ametal which forms molecular coordination complexes, and a transparentmoisture-proof organic coating over .said particles, the particlesserving to;

anchor said coating to said base sheet.

7; As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising an organicplastic base sheet, a multiplicity of particles ofa finely comminutedsolid anhydrous inorganic compound of a metal which forms molecularcoordination complexes I on, the surface. of said base sheet, and. aplurality of moisture-proof organic coatings-over said parti- 'tipllcityof particles of a finel drous inorganic magnesium compound on the 6surface of said base sheet, and a moisture-proof organic coating oversaidp'articles, the paigtficles serving to anchor said coating to saidbase eet.

10. A playing card comprising a base sheetol. organic material having acoating of transparent lo waterproof organic material anchored theretoby particles of anlnorganic ma nesium compound which are fine enough topass an 80 mesh screenand are distributed over the surface of the basesheet.

is J 1l.,A playing card comprising a base sheet of r celluloseacetatehaving particlesof magnesium A carbonate fine enough to pass an-80 mesh screen distributed over the'surface thereof and covered' by fanadhering film of transparent, waterproof,

cles, theparticles serving to anchor said coatings 20 cellulosicmaterial.

' to said base sheet. 1

8. As anarticlc of manufacture, a Playin card.

comprising a printed organic plastic base eet having on its surface aninvisible deposit -com-' prising-a multiplicity of particles of finelycomminuted solid anhydrous. inorganic compound of a metal which formsmolecular coordination complexes, and'a transparentmoisture-prooforganic. 'wcoating over said particles, the particlesserving to anchor said'coating to saidbase sheet.

12. A method of producing playing cards which comprises the processsteps of dusting onto the surface ofa base sheet formed or organicplasticmaterial, an inorganie'compound of a metal 25 which formsmolecular coordination complexes,

and in a form fineflenough to-passan 80 mesh screen, and thereaftercoating said base sheet with a transparent, Waterproof. organicmaterial.

mam: J. sows.

